


a change of scenery

by neepynoodles



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Eventual Romance, Ice Cream, M/M, San Fransokyo, Valentine's Day, kinda first date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22887310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neepynoodles/pseuds/neepynoodles
Summary: Xigbar asks Saix to meet him in San Fransokyo, a few realisations are had.This definitely isn't a date.
Relationships: Saïx/Xigbar (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	a change of scenery

**Author's Note:**

  * For [luxubar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxubar/gifts).



San Fransokyo. 

The brightly coloured city did little to ease Saix’s discomfort as he stepped through the dark corridor. The street he stood on the corner of was decorated with bright red and pink heart-shaped decorations and lined with couples giggling and walking together. He knew he must look painfully out of place with his black organisation cloak and expression bordering on a scowl amidst the sea of coloured, modern clothing and happy smiles. He looked around almost nervously, but no one seemed to notice his sudden appearance. 

Signs on store windows identified the occasion as “Valentine’s Day” and with those two words, memories of buying discounted chocolates in the days following the holiday during his childhood flooded to the forefront of his mind. Saix grimaced as he felt an ache in his chest at the displays of affection around him, muttering grumpily to himself under his breath as he looked around for the one who had requested his presence in the first place. 

An elderly man stood outside a flower shop, joyfully handing out single roses to those passing by while an elderly woman, presumably his wife, assisted customers inside the store. Upon spotting Saix standing alone, the man held out a rose and waved it towards him with a sympathetic smile. 

The implication that he was a sad, single man - although it was true, excluding the ‘sad’ part - made the tips of Saix’s ears burn as he stiffened and turned on his heel to walk in another direction. A few stores down was a busy arcade blaring loud electronic music for the entire street to hear. It was populated with groups of rowdy teenagers and a few younger couples. To Saix, it was a loud and unpleasant hellhole of potential sensory overstimulation but he wasn’t allowed to dwell on that thought any longer as a sudden hand fell on his shoulder. 

“Well, well, Bluebell.” Came Xigbar’s voice directly in his ear, easily competing with the music for Saix’s attention. “Fancy seeing you here.” 

Saix twitched at the sudden contact but made no effort to shrug the other Nobody’s hand off of himself, refusing to let himself think on why the man’s touch didn’t bother him as much as he thought it should. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and turned his body to face Xigbar with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re late.” 

He was answered by the familiar laugh he had come to expect, “As if! You were just early, now c’mon follow me.”

Saix rolled his shoulders and followed carefully without a word as Xigbar led them away from the busy city and towards the quieter areas of town. Was this a test? A trial of loyalty? Why had Xigbar chosen this world out of all of the others? The cityscape was a jarring change, bustling and busy with bright neon lights stretching down the streets at night. The skyscrapers were almost enough to block out the glaring light of the setting sun behind them as they walked and Saix finally got a good look at the other man. 

Xigbar’s clothes shimmered, the effect was invisible to the untrained eye but Saix recognised it immediately as a glamour. He appeared to be wearing a black leather jacket and ripped black skinny jeans, tucked into knee high boots. His long hair was still tied back in its usual ponytail, swaying back and forth as they walked. Despite the air of mystery still surrounding their true goal in San Fransokyo for the evening, Saix felt even more ridiculously dressed in comparison to his current companion. 

“Why the glamour?” He asked as casually as he could. 

“What? No ‘wow Xigbar you look really nice’?” Xigbar glanced over at him, his golden eye almost glowing, “When you’re around regular folks, ya gotta blend in. Plus, it’s nice to actually own normal clothes that aren’t that _damn_ jacket.” 

“The jacket is practical.” Saix retorted, “Regular clothing is for regular people, we have no use for it as Nobodies.” 

Xigbar sighed and rolled his eye, “Yeah, yeah, alright Lunatone. Well we’re not on official organisation business right now and you’re gonna need to be dressed better for where we’re going so, first stop is right up ahead.” 

A comfortable silence fell between the two of them as they walked, the sweet scents of the Valentine’s Day celebrations fading away the further they went. The stores down these streets were almost as busy as the ones closer to the centre of the city. Various clothing stores and more specialised looking boutiques lined the path forward and Saix let himself be led ahead by Xigbar. 

He couldn’t help his curiosity as they walked, feeling like a child as he glanced around. In between training Xion for the battle against the Lights and conspiring with Vexen upon his return, he had had no time to himself to relax. As loathe as he was to admit it, taking this break away from the duties of the organisation was a welcome change of pace. He let himself breathe, shoulders dropping as he took in the scents of perfumes that wafted out of various boutiques. Perhaps this city would be a nice place to take Xion to after a training session, the technology would most likely be a surprise to a child like her. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by Xigbar's hand on his back, guiding him down into a narrow alleyway. A door at the end led into a smaller clothing store that housed a few racks of clothing, a single mannequin, and two fitting rooms. Behind the cashier stood a figure who was clearly not human if their blue-grey skin was any indication. They stood up quickly as soon as they spotted Xigbar enter and waved enthusiastically. 

"You made it! I have what you ordered right here!" they greeted, "Ah and who's your friend?" 

"Frydmyna! How are ya?" Xigbar waved back, walking right up the counter as Saix followed closely behind. "This here is Saix, he's gonna be wearing the clothes." 

Saix paced around the store, letting Xigbar do all the talking. He sifted through the racks of clothes carefully, letting his fingers glide over the patterns on the fabric. Judging purely by appearance, the shopkeeper was a Roegadyn. Saix tapped his fingers against the coat hangers as he concentrated; surely he could recall _something_ about the Roegadyn. 

A painting on the wall of the ocean and a single large red ship caught his attention - of course, he muttered to himself. The Roegadyn were primarily a maritime race, he recalled from when he had delved into history books during his time as an apprentice. Why, then, was this one not in a world such as the Caribbean? Perhaps they had desired a fresh start, or a change of scenery. Saix couldn't deny the allure of breaking free and following one's own path. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by Xigbar calling his name, turning around in time to see Frydmyna wave him over. 

They nodded as Saix approached the counter, "I see, so this is the 'Moonblossom' you've been telling me about." they smiled and turned to face Saix directly, sliding a neatly folded jacket across the counter, "These are for you then, go on, try them on." 

Saix took it silently after a brief moment of shock at the thought of Xigbar _talking about him._ The jacket was long, easily reaching his knees as he took off his organisation cloak and put the new jacket on, admiring the camo-print stripes running down his sides and arms. He glanced up and met Xigbar's eye, the other Nobody grinned at him and flashed him a thumbs up. But there was a hint of something softer in his gaze as he reached forward to pat down Saix's sides and brush off imaginary lint. 

Had he a heart, Saix would have sworn he felt a surge of warmth within him at the touch. It wasn't as if they'd never had physical contact before between them; their late night rendezvous saw to that. But something about the way Xigbar's smile seemed softer for a brief moment made his chest ache. 

"Looks good," Xigbar nodded, "suits ya."

"It fits.. Perfectly." Saix ran a hand along a sleeve as he spoke. 

"They always do!" Frydmyna replied, "that's the magic of them; no matter what you pick here, it _will_ fit."

"Thank you, it's very nice." he paused, social situations were hardly his forte and he wasn't entirely sure what the expected response was, "I will be sure to come back another time." 

“And ya know I will too.” Xigbar blinked exaggeratedly, attempting to wink with only one eye, “say hi to Swyrgeim over in Vesper Bay for me!” 

Saix had just enough time to furrow his eyebrows and open his mouth to ask who that was before the other man teleported the two of them away. He blinked, still holding his organisation jacket in his hands, as they rematerialised outside what appeared to be a music festival of some kind. They were far from the centre of the city but still surrounded by towering metal and a large crowd of excited civilians. He folded his jacket over his arm and turned to question Xigbar.

He paused, watching with barely concealed amusement at the expression of excitement on Xigbar’s face as he patted down his pockets and pulled out two pieces of paper. Saix took the one held out for him and inspected it carefully, turning it over in his hand. A concert ticket. Well now _this_ was a surprise, even after an afternoon of surprises. 

He had yet to experience a concert of this scale in his life and although he struggled to uphold his image and reputation, the building before him with its floor to ceiling windows and posters was an interesting sight with its own unique charm to it. He grimaced as loud music began to blare and immediately felt Xigbar stiffen at his side. Saix cursed himself internally as the man swivelled to stand in front of him with concern in his glowing eye. 

“Hey, you okay?” 

“Of course.” Saix answered, keeping his voice at the level of cool confidence he clung to, “Let’s go.” 

Xigbar squinted at him with clear suspicion written all over his face. Saix could feel a blush creeping up his neck and ears as Xigbar placed a hand on his chest to stop him from advancing further. He tried to keep his face as neutral as he could even as the volume of the music was starting to give him a headache and the other man did nothing but stare at him, waiting for him to crack. 

“You’re allowed to not want to do this.” Xigbar’s voice was soft, just loud enough to be heard. If he weren’t fighting to maintain his usual image, Saix would have reminded him of their status as Nobodies and their inability to feel worry or concern. Instead, his own eyes narrowed as he saw Xigbar’s eye widen minutely for a split second, as if he was surprised by his own concern. 

“Seriously.” Xigbar continued, tilting his head to the side, “I have another place we can go. Or are ya _sure_ you’re cool to go in for this.”

Saix paused and straightened up his posture. He managed a single step forward before he heard Xigbar sigh exasperatedly before they were whisked away again. 

He huffed, more frustrated with himself for the lack of bite in the sound than he was frustrated with Xigbar. “Give me some warning before you do that.” 

Xigbar laughed, sitting down with his legs dangling off the edge of the top of the San Fransokyo bridge while Saix regained his balance. 

“Knew you’d be too stubborn and proud to admit it wasn’t right for you.” 

Saix sat down beside Xigbar in silence and punched the other man in the arm, “I am _not_ stubborn.” 

“Oh _of course_ you’re not.” Xigbar laughed, seemingly unfazed by the punch. 

They sat together side by side, staring up at the stars that glittered across the sky above San Fransokyo. The cooler air was calming, almost refreshing, to Saix as he crossed a leg over the other. Cars passed by beneath the two of them and after a moment, Xigbar let out a loud sigh. Saix glanced over at him curiously, waiting for him to talk. He would blame his lack of rest later, but in the moment, he realised he enjoyed hearing the other Nobody talk. 

“Feeling better?” 

“Much.” Saix hummed and nodded, “Why the jacket?” 

“What? Don’t believe me that it was so you can blend in here without wearing that godawful black cloak?” 

“Knowing you, I doubt it’s that simple.” Saix answered, “But regardless, I like it… Thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Xigbar gestured with his hand and flicked his wrist to open a small pocket of space, “Here, may as well end off this adventure with a little dessert.” 

Saix stared at the sea salt ice cream in his hand and took it hesitantly. Xigbar wasted no time digging into his, gaze focused on the stars as he swung his legs back and forth. Saix took a small bite, letting the block melt on his tongue. Despite the rush of the afternoon, he ‘felt’ comforted. The familiarity of the ice cream brought a wave of memories and helped ease the worry that had settled itself deep within him regarding the upcoming battle. But how had Xigbar known about the ice cream?

“I’m from Radiant Garden too, remember?” Xigbar spoke up, as if he had read Saix’s thoughts. 

That answered _one_ question. Saix tapped his ice cream to his lips and turned to face Xigbar, feeling an ache in his chest at the smug yet serene look on the man’s face. 

“Why me?” 

Xigbar turned to face him and tilted his head, but didn’t answer. 

“Today, I mean.” Saix clarified, “Why did you ask _me_ specifically to come here to meet you.” 

Xigbar shrugged one shoulder, “Why you indeed.”

“What’s Vesper Bay?” It was a gap in his knowledge he wanted to fill. 

“What is this? 20 questions? Shoulda told me.” Xigbar teased as he took a bite of his ice cream, “Vesper Bay is in Western Thanalan in the world of Eorzea. It’s a beautiful place.” 

His voice softened and grew wistful, “Lots of things there that we don’t get here in the worlds we normally end up travelling to.”

He muttered something to himself under his breath that Saix couldn’t quite make out, but it sounded vaguely like “Would love to take you there.” He bit his lip, but decided not to question Xigbar about that world any further. 

He narrowed his eyes, “What exactly are you planning, Xigbar?” 

Just as quickly as it had come, the softness in his voice left and the playfulness returned. 

“I already told ya, this isn’t for the organisation so just relax, Moonbeam.” 

“Then at least tell me why _this_ day of all days.” Saix raised an eyebrow, “This holiday.” 

Xigbar let out a low whistle, “Ah, figures you’re not a romance guy, huh?” 

Saix frowned, biting off more of his ice cream as he mulled over Xigbar’s words. He struggled to understand how the man’s answer had had anything to do with his question. 

“We are _Nobodies_ ,” He started, pausing to gather his thoughts as they buzzed around in his head, “You _know_ we cannot feel anyth-” 

A realisation dawned on him as he cut himself off. He was not foolish enough to blindly believe or hope that he had a heart. The ache in his chest and the flutters in his stomach when he thought of the Freeshooter were anomalies. Simply his Nobody biology acting up, perhaps even a side effect of his ability to enter a berserk state. 

...Right? 

He stared at his ice cream in his hand. He disliked when humans displayed their affection for each other in loud displays, it was obnoxious and unnecessary. But doubt began to creep into the back of his mind. The relationship he had with Xigbar was entirely unrelated, he told himself, they were both incapable of truly feeling anything. Saix finished his ice cream and looked back over to the man by his side. 

Xigbar developed a sudden fascination with the stick of his ice cream. 

“Xigbar,” Saix began slowly, cautiously, unwilling to make a fool of himself if he was wrong, “Was this a… _date?_ ” 

“HA!”

He ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach and the crushing disappointment in his chest, “No, then.” 

“Did I say that?”

“You didn’t say yes.” 

Xigbar hummed, “That I didn’t.” 

Saix’s brow furrowed in even further confusion. Xigbar glanced over and laughed, licking the remaining drops of his ice cream teasingly slowly. 

“You ready to go back to work?” He asked, standing up and opening a Dark Corridor with a flick of his wrist. 

Saix stood up, still scrambling to decipher everything Xigbar had said but managing to nod in response. Xigbar grinned and leaned in to place a quick kiss to Saix’s cheek before walking into the Corridor. 

Saix stood there in stunned silence for a few moments by himself, feeling his cheeks heat up gradually until he could feel them almost burning as he lifted a hand to the cheek that Xigbar had kissed. He took a shaky step, striding forward into the Corridor still too stunned to say anything, hoping to speak to the other man before the final battle. 

He didn’t get the chance. 

-X-

Isa stood in front of his mirror with a gentle smile on his face. Turning his body to admire the pants he had gone back to order from Frydmyna. He sighed, letting his shoulders relax as he took in his appearance. He felt comfortable and at ease. The pain in his new heart was too much to bear at times, but he was no longer alone. 

He slipped his hand into the pockets of his jacket, frowning slightly as he felt a piece of paper. His eyes widened as he pulled it out and read it, realising that Xigbar must have slipped it in when he patted him down during their maybe-date. 

_“Hey, hey bunnymoon. Hope you’re still wearing this jacket, it suits ya, you look great. If you’re reading this though, that means the war’s over and I’ve got my other job to do. If you ever get some spare time in between being the Light’s new bestie (saw that betrayal comin’ a mile away, callisto), gimme a call. I got a few places to show ya."_

Beneath was a number that Isa quickly typed into his gummiphone. Even in a message left weeks ago, Xigbar was still always one step ahead in the game he played. He stepped out onto the balcony of the apartment he was renting, closing his eyes to enjoy the warmth of the sun on his face. Isa hummed, he loved organisation in his life - order and a clear path, but there always seemed to be wrenches thrown in the works. Despite having his heart back, he still felt displaced, uncertain. He had a place, but there was a lingering sense that he didn’t belong. 

Perhaps a change of scenery was what he needed, and a certain one eyed sniper. 

(Nah, definitely just the scenery.)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a piece for a Valentine's Day gift exchange! Took me a while to get through but I'm pretty happy with it overall so, if you're reading this, I hope you enjoyed it!!


End file.
